Swollen by torrential rain, the onset of a rapid thaw, and unusually high spring tides, all the major rivers burst their banks, inundating farmland, roads and homes.

A vast area of land was swamped, half of it prime arable land desperately needed to supply a population only just freed from the grip of war. Sowings of winter wheat and vast quantities of potatoes were submerged.

In the low lying areas close to the Great Ouse, Welland and Nene, the floodwater tore huge breaches in the river banks, and hundreds of families were made homeless. The sheer force of the water smashed fences, knocked down doors and destroyed walls, even those made of brick.

Flooding in 1947- picture Cambridgeshire Collection

Thousands of pigs, cattle, sheep and poultry were swept away too – but miraculously no human lives were lost.

Local people were joined by Army men – and prisoners-of-war – in battling to keep the water at bay, but could do little to prevent further damage. Many of the embankments had been established way back in the 17th century by the Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden as part of the vast fenland drainage project.

Read More

One News reader who was there at the time, and still lives there in her 80s, has vivid memories of the catastrophe.

The woman, who has asked not to be named, said: "The water came up from the fen as far as the bridge, and people’s homes were under water. In some places it was 14 feet deep. No one knew what to do – it was dreadful.

"I remember one young man who had just built a nice bungalow. All he could do was watch as the water rushed over it.

"They brought water pumps all the way from Holland to pump the water back into the rivers."

To help repair the damaged river banks, 20-ton amphibious vehicles known as Neptunes were driven into the flood, forming a dam that held back the water while the banks were rebuilt.

Neptune vehicles used to combat the floods

Our archive photos here from the Cambridgeshire Collection show a house under floodwater on the road between Earith and Haddenham, people taking to a punt in St Neots High Street, and military help being drafted in, including the use of Army vehicles near Over.

Read More

It took many villages several years to recover from the damage, and not long after they had done so, there was another freak weather event.

Troops drafted in to help flood victims, 1947

At the end of January 1953, hurricane-style winds drove a tide surge down the North Sea and onto the East coast. Sea defences were breached in more than 1,200 places by huge waves, and water swept inland.

The worst-hit areas, naturally enough, were those closest to the coast. Canvey Island in Essex was left completely underwater and every single house - most were bungalows - had to be evacuated.

The youngsters on their hands and knees are applying a spot of spit and polish in a Cambridge church, and they’re a Brownie pack. More information is welcomed.

Brownies floor polishing, 1975

The pipe-laying is being done by Eastern Gas (remember them?), and the location is Round Church Street. At the time, 1980, everybody wanted ‘high speed gas’ (remember that?) but Cambridge’s ancient metal gas mains were falling apart. The gas company duly began a massive operation to put in new plastic piping, and the reason for the excitement is that here, they had reached the 1,000 kilometre mark.

As welcome as the gas itself was, the pipe-laying work was far from popular. The engineers had to endure a welter of complaints from residents who fed up with their streets being dug up.

Eastern Gas laying pipeline in Round Church Street, 1980

Who are placard-wavers? They’re nurses from Addenbrooke’s, marching in the city centre in 1979 as part of a campaign for better pay. Are you one of them?

Nurses' pay march, 1979

Our other photo features the redoubtable Snowy Farr, and his picture is here because it is 10 years since he died, and we would love to hear readers’ memories of him. We are planning a special feature soon – so if you have a Snowy story to relate, get in touch.